Lucky me to be back at the clinic of top consultant dermatologist DR STEPHANIE HO for a follow-up Profhilo skin care treatment. Having loved the first-time results, I can hardly wait. Though based on hyaluronic acid (HA), this injectable treatment isn’t a filler. Its primary effect works at a completely different level from your basic HA to effectively bio-remodel the skin, restoring skin health by stimulating hydration, collagen and elastin. In other words, it’s all about rejuvenation – everyone’s favourite “R” word.
Hyaluronic acid
Hyaluronic acid is a natural component of our skin. You find it in many topical moisturisers, too. It’s also the main ingredient in the facial fillers that have become so popular to (a) plump up the face for a more youthful look, (b) deliver poutier lips, and (c) inject directly into frown lines and other deeper wrinkles to make them disappear instantly.
Profhilo review
After a Profhilo treatment, I find my face looks slightly fuller for a week or so, or even up to a month: that’s how long this compound is retained in the dermis before it naturally breaks down. But it’s subtle; not even my eagle-eyed husband can see it.
So, what makes Profhilo different from other injectable hyaluronic acid products in the market? For one thing, it’s more highly concentrated. Secondly, it’s thermally stabilised so that it lasts longer before being broken down, giving it longer to work.
Best of all, the skin biomodelling process will continue to stimulate natural healing in the body. You should notice smoother, firmer skin and noticeably improved skin quality for up to six months!
The science behind Profhilo
Warning: As this explanation could easily drift into the TL;DR (too long; didn’t read) category, I’ll keep it brief.
Profhilo uses a patented hybrid NHAYCO technology for skin bio-remodelling. It combines high and low molecular weight HA complexes in three phases:
- first, the two weights of hyaluronic acid are combined;
- then, a thermal (heat) process breaks down hydrogen bonds, enabling the two weights of HA to unite;
- as it cools, it forms a new, stabilised hybrid cooperative complex that is capable of resisting being broken down by the enzyme hyaluronidase for a longer time – up to 28 days.
Why the two different molecular weights of hyaluronic acid? Well, the lower molecular weight HA attracts water, giving a hydrating effect; while the higher weight HA adds volume by providing a “stable dermal scaffold”. Together, they increase the skin’s elasticity and hydration to provide a hydro-lifting action.
Advances in Profhilo treatment
Standard treatment consists of five injections down each side of the face. Having your neck treated too – and most over-40-year-olds would benefit from this (budget permitting) – would entail another five down either side of the neck.
True artists, however, are continuously innovating and constantly improving. Since our previous appointment, Dr Stephanie has been learning from her direct experience with hundreds of patients, and is now able to adapt the original Profhilo protocol more closely to each individual’s needs.
“As we learn more about it and become more proficient in it,” she explains, “we are using it in other areas too.”
That’s music to my ears! Though I’m lucky to have healthy skin, age-related volume loss in the upper face causes the lower face to drop. No one is immune. And unless you’re the Hush Puppies model, pendulous jowls are probably not the look you’re going for.
Short of plastic surgery, Dr Stephanie agrees that restoring fullness to the forehead and temples may be the most effective way to reverse unwelcome sagging.
“We find that using Profhilo on the temples works to give a more rounded, lifted appearance,” she adds. In fact, she is happy to use it anywhere on the face that requires a boost of hydration and a subtle lift – even the delicate skin close to the eyes. What’s more, skin quality also improves.”
Synergistic combos
Some things simply work better together. According to Dr Stephanie, Profhilo combines really well with other technologies. A top choice would be Profhilo plus a wrinkle relaxer such as Botox.
“Botox is normally used to treat lines on the upper face, like crows’ feet, frown lines between the eyes, and horizontal forehead lines; while Profhilo is mainly used on the lower half.” Together, they address the entire face.
Also, she prefers not to inject a wrinkle relaxer too close to the eyebrows. “Instead, I can achieve a good effect by injecting micro-droplets of Profhilo just above the brows – and with no risk of drooping.”
Profhilo and laser combos
Profhilo can also be used in combination with various laser technologies. As Dr Stephanie explains, different lasers target different concerns. What’s more, they can effectively be used with one another – and any of them will work synergistically with Profhilo to promote rejuvenation.
She has no less than seven different laser machines in her clinic. Used with Profhilo, they can brighten the complexion, improve pore size, reduce fine lines and fade pigmentation.
“For sunspots and pigmentation, I use the pigment laser Picoway,” she says, “while fractional CO2 is ideal for treating acne scars or fine lines.”
Her VBeam laser targets telangiectasia, which is what you see in rosacea patients. She finds that it helps these patients tremendously.
There’s good news for melasma sufferers, too, she adds. “For them, Profhilo works well in combination with lightening creams, oral tranexamic acid and micro-needling RF.”
It’s true that melasma tends to be a chronic problem that can reappear when you go into the sun again, she agrees. However, any treatment that improves the quality of the skin tends to make you less susceptible over time.
My Prohilo review – Profhilo plus Botox
As before, my face and neck are anointed with numbing cream. Skin lightly covered in plastic wrap and with a comforting blanky over my legs, I’m left to nod off for an hour in a private waiting room before being whisked into a treatment room.
Dr Stephanie’s HA injections take no more than 10 minutes. This time around, she is targeting my particular areas of need: the temples, cheeks and forehead. She also injects tiny micro-droplets above the brows, around the eyes, and into the corners of the mouth. Like the previous time, it’s easily bearable.
After a couple of hours, the facial redness has gone. A week later, any areas of swelling have settled down – and, thanks to the add-on Botox treatment, those tell-tale fine lines have vanished.
The cost of one Profhilo treatment for face or neck is $1,200. Two initial treatments a month apart are recommended. After that, Dr Stephanie suggests a maintenance treatment every four to six months.
Why I love it
Two weeks later, I’m enjoying the full effect: a subtle lift, an unmistakeable glow, and the lines are gone. For me, this combination has to be one of the top minimally invasive ways to turn back the clock.
Stephanie Ho Dermatology
#08-05 Scotts Medical Centre
9 Scotts Road, Pacific Plaza
6262 0880 | stephanieho.com.sg
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